when life gives you lemons…

My heaven – the kitchen

Today I’d like to talk about something very exciting. About one of my biggest and favorite hobbies, actually. The art of turning ordinary ingredients like potatoes, cheese or salad into something magical. That’s right, I’m talking about cooking.

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I know what you’re all thinking right now. I’m 21 and live alone, of course I need to know how to cook. Nobody wants to live off just pasta with tomato sauce, right? But for me it goes far beyond just making lunch for myself. The funny thing is, nobody really ever pushed me into the whole cooking thing, I was never dragged into the kitchen. I mean, my mum spends her day at work telling people about eating healthy and learning about food and stuff, but she always says that I somehow developed this love for food and cooking all on my own.

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One aspect that clearly is one reason for this hobby is the fact that I’m a single child. When I was younger and got home from school, of course there was usually always something ready cooked for me. But as I grew older, the times changed and I had to take care of my meals myself. And since then I just fell in love with cooking more and more and today the kitchen is a sacred place for me and I usually cook two or three times per week.

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When it comes to my cooking style I’d say my heart beats for pretty down-to-earth and mediterranean food and spices, but I’m also a huge fan of the asian cuisine (god, I love ramen / pho). And besides that I also love to bake, chocolate brownies are something like my go-to-dessert. It’s chocolatey and fudgy, what more could you wish for?

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As none of my family eats meat (I only eat fish), I usually stick to vegetarian meals, but to be honest, the meat is not missing at all. I know how some people might say that vegetarian dishes are boring or that they miss the meat, but honestly, if you know how to handle your ingredients, veggies and fruit, a green salad with some nice toppings and an incredible dressing can create fireworks in your taste buds.

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Idolwise I’d say that Jamie Oliver is my favorite cook out there. I often use his recipes – though I always try to give all of my dishes my own special twist and personal stamp – and let’s be honest, he’s a god when it comes to cooking. His shows are amazing, everything looks just mouth-watering (even a plain carrot – please tell me your tricks Jamie) and let’s not forget his awesome books. I also love him for the fact that he always tries to adopt current food trends and wants to make the world a better place for us all by teaching people how to cook and eat better.

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Besides Jamie I also completely adore Heston Blumenthal. He’s one of those guys who aren’t afraid to experiment a little with food and turn an ordinary dish into a whole new adventure and experience. I really wish to once be able to visit his restaurant “The Fat Duck” in Bray, but I guess it’s quite expensive and I clearly don’t live in England, so I can just hope I’ll someday get my chance. Until then I’ll just stick to his amazing shows on TV.

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For me, personally, food and cooking is so much more than putting something into your stomach. It’s somewhat a way of life and a way of treating yourself, your body, soul, your family, friends and whoever gets to eat some of your meals. It’s a away of relaxing and calming down, forgetting everything else around me. And when I really put an effort into a meal and get to put something magical on the plate, that’s when I’m completely happy.

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So yeah, that’s my story about my love for food and cooking. Do any of you love it as much as I do? And what’s your favorite meal? I’d really love to hear your stories. And until then I hope you all had an amazing weekend and start of the week and are all doing well. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading. x